Robert Mueller questions BuzzFeed News’ story on Donald Trump’s instructions to Michael Cohen

WASHINGTON – Special counsel Robert Mueller’s office Friday issued a rare public statement disputing the accuracy of a BuzzFeed News report saying President Donald Trump’s former attorney told Mueller the president had directed him to lie to Congress.

BuzzFeed, citing two unidentified law enforcement officials, reported that Trump directed Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about a Moscow real estate project and that Cohen told Mueller the president personally instructed him to lie about the timing of the deal.

The report said Mueller’s investigators learned about Trump’s directive “through interviews with multiple witnesses from the Trump Organization and internal company emails, text messages, and a cache of other documents.”

The report said Cohen acknowledged Trump’s instructions when he was interviewed by the Mueller team.